Bus Ride
by HalKJAkiko
Summary: Completed. RuHanaRu. What happened when Sakuragi and Rukawa took a bus ride home together? How did they end up being sick? Read and find out!
1. Default Chapter

**BUS RIDE**

A/N: I wrote this quite some times ago... hope you like it... anyway... please review, ne? Onegai, minna-san!

Dedication: This fic is specially written for Regina-chan to CELEBRATE and WELCOME dear Regina-chan to the joyful world of fanfic and the EXCELLENT world of Slamdunk.

Disclaimer: Hana will be mine one day! cackle cackle haha... I know I'll be head-butted punched by many and especially Ru... but he's just so cute and irresistable... okay okay... threw up both hands and growled I DON'T own anything, so DON'T sue! I don't have money anyway... ;; and ON to the STORY!

... = thoughts

* * *

Chapter I

It was Friday, a normal Friday evening, with a beautiful sunset and a slight breeze. Everywhere was peaceful and everyone was enjoying this rare silence in the busy city of Kanagawa. Then...  
  
"Teme!! You stupid kitsune! Stop where you are and fight with me like a man!" A deafening shout echoed from Shohoku's gym, breaking and shattering this serene scene. author sighs  
  
"Do'aho! Fighting with you is just a waste of time." The brunette answered coolly.  
  
"Teme! Hump! You are not worthy of the Tensai's time anyway!" the red-head scowled and pulled a face at the fox-eyed youth who was of the same size and height like him, well, almost. 1 cm doesn't count much (Sakuragi: What?! I'm taller than that kitsune and you should state that! 1 cm is a big deal and one day I'll be much much taller! heaving with anger Author: ... face-vaulted). But that's where the similarity ends.  
  
One had dark straight bangs that framed a pointy face with porcelain colour and texture while the other crowned a head of red silky fiery curls with smooth brown-skinned face. One had icy piercing blue fox-eyes contrasting the honey-brown warm orbs that were etched onto the other's face. Thin pale lips of one versus the full pouting red lips of the other. Quietness, coolness of a face wiped of any emotion versus loudness, hot-temper of a face that expressed every emotion the owner felt. That was how big their contrast was. And that was how big the gap between them was, or at least, on the surface.  
  
Anyway, the two very contrasting youths continued their bickering in the locker room as the others left the gym.  
  
"Sakuragi! Stop that nonsense and stop quarrelling with Rukawa." Akagi, or better known as Gori by a certain red-head, growled and threatened to use the fist-connecting-with-head technique on him.  
  
"Do have a good rest tonight since you had good tough practice today. Goodbye, Sakuragi-kun." Haruko called as she left the gym with her rather terrifying brother.  
  
"Ja-ne!" Sakuragi cooed as heart shapes replaced his usual brown eyes.  
  
"Do'aho!" Rukawa commented.  
  
"Teme! You are only jealous because Haruko-chan said good-bye to me instead of you!"  
  
"Yamenasai you two before I use the fan on your head. Well, we got to go. Oh ya, remember to lock up when the two of you leave, you are the last ones left in the gym, you know. Don't make a mess or start any fight, okay?" the basketball manageress, Ayako, reminded as she left with Miyagi, Mitsui and Kogure.  
  
"Oi kitsune, everyone's gone. And I'm going too. Are you? Not that I care, as if the tensai will. Anyway, if you are not, you'll have to lock the gym!" Sakuragi called to the fox-eyed boy.  
  
"Um." A simple answer. And a red-head together with a dark-haired youth left the gym.

* * *

A/N: Be patient... this is only the 1st chapter.


	2. Chapter II

_Disclaimer at Chapter I _

* * *

Chapter II 

Hanamichi Sakuragi walked towards the fence that surrounded the school and climbed over it. He had been doing that ever since he came to Shohoku and it was for a simple reason - the school gate was too far from the gym, jumping over the fence was much quicker and sensible (at least to the red- head). Suddenly, he felt someone landing gracefully like a cat beside him and swerved around to see the fox-eyed youth straightening up.  
  
"Oi kitsune, what are you doing? I thought you had a bicycle?" Sakuragi asked.  
  
"Sent for repair. Crashed it against a truck last night." Another simple and short answer.  
  
"Ahaha! I know it's bound to happen since you always sleep even while cycling. Haha..." Sakuragi laughed his usual loud and boisterous laugh. Rukawa had no time to retaliate as the bus came at the moment and the two tall boys chased after it.  
  
"Shimatta! Stupid bus, made me run all the way! Don't know why it comes so early today. Usually I had to wait for more than 15 minutes. Stupid!" Sakuragi cursed as he finally caught up with the bus and boarded it but not before Rukawa boarded too. "Aa. You're living in my district too?"  
  
"Um."  
  
The bus was crowded and there was only two seats left at the rear. Rukawa, being the earlier one to board the bus took the one at the window. Sakuragi, not wanting to sit anywhere near Rukawa (in case that kitsune would do anything strange since Sakuragi insisted that the stupid kitsune was mentally unstable because he couldn't beat the tensai), decided to stand. Rukawa merely raised a slender eyebrow at Sakuragi's decision. The bus suddenly jerked to a stop and Sakuragi, who was not holding on to anything, stumbled and almost fell.  
  
"Do'aho!"  
  
"Teme! You stupid kitsune. How dare you insult the Tensai?"  
  
"Do'aho! If you can't stand properly, then sit and stop making a fool of yourself. Or are you too afraid of me?" then Rukawa did something very un- Rukawa, he smirked! The usual ice-prince actually showed some emotion.  
  
"YOU!" Sakuragi was now fuming with anger and he sensed all the other passengers staring at him. "What you staring at? This is none of your business! Go back to your own world, you nosey people!" But the passengers continued to stare.  
  
"Humph! I'm the Tensai and I'm not afraid of anyone! I'll prove it!" Sakuragi turned around and sat down beside a smirking Rukawa.  
  
"I. Said. Go. Back. To your. Own. World! And stop staring, you pathetic people. Never seen a Tensai before, ne?" Glaring at the staring passengers, Sakuragi growled. "If you continue to stare, you'll all get heat-butted by me!"  
  
With the threat hanging over their head, and upon seeing flames igniting in the red-head's eyes and the vein popping at the forehead, the passengers quickly turned around. Still they felt the red-head's eyes boring at them, so they did not dare to turn to look anymore.  
  
Suddenly, Sakuragi felt a weight on his right shoulder and he turned to see Rukawa sleeping with his brunette head cushioned on Sakuragi's shoulder. Normally, if these kinds of things happened, Sakuragi would have start shouting at the "baka kitsune". But now, he was just stunned, too stunned to even breathe.  
  
"Beautiful...my Kaede..." he whispered. Kuso! Where did that come from? Sakuragi's panicky brain started to questioned his own reaction. But he was too mesmerized by the sleep fox-eyed boy to care. Indeed, he was stunned by Rukawa's beauty, in fact, he found Rukawa really cute when he slept. He had never really noticed the sooty long eyelashes that were of perfect contrast to the dark-haired boy's porcelain face. And yes, those dark bangs of his... how soft and shiny they looked... he wanted to touch that face and those bangs that had tumbled onto the kitsune's face, hiding his eyes...  
  
Sakuragi reached out one trembling hand and brushed gently against the smooth cheek. It's so soft and warm...a bit too warm... so unlike how he appeared to be. And his hand found its way up to the forehead and gently push the dark bangs out of the sleeping boy's eyes...  
  
Ruakwa's hand suddenly grabbed Sakuragi's hand and held it close to his heart, as if hugging it, and snuggled closer to the warmth beside him. Sakuragi's heart skipped a beat as his stomach did a flip-flop. He forgot to breathe for almost one whole minute as he just stared at the sleeping form beside him with unbelieving eyes. Slowly he exhaled and shifted his position gently (so as not to wake the other boy) so that his own red head rested on the dark-haired boy's.  
  
Unconsciously, Sakuragi's eyelids felt heavy and began to drupe lower. Soon, he himself fell asleep, with his head still resting on Rukawa's head and his hand still clamped in Rukawa's hand, feeling the boy's heartbeat.

* * *

A/N: Like it... hate it? Review please!


	3. Chapter III

_Disclaimer at Chapter I_

* * *

Chapter III

An empty bus, well almost empty, traveled along the deserted lane and it jerked as it traveled over a big bump on the road. Two sleeping form shifted their position in the bus and both opened their eyes, blue and brown, slowly.  
  
"Huh? I fell asleep?" Sakuragi said as he tried to rub his eyes with his left hand but suddenly realized that he could not as it was still tightly grabbed by Rukawa.  
  
"Oi kistnue! Would you mind letting go of my hand?" Sakuragi quickly asked, hoping he was not blushing as the incident before he fell asleep came back to him.  
  
"Um." Rukawa quickly dropped Sakuragi's hand, his cheeks turning slightly pink and he quickly turned to look out of the window.  
  
Did I just see Rukawa blush? Sakuragi stared at Rukawa's back when Rukawa suddenly cursed.  
  
"Kuso!"  
  
"Hey! Who're you cursing? You stupid kitsune!"  
  
"Where's this place? I have never taken a bus home from school but I sensed that there's something wrong." Rukawa asked as he pointed outside the bus.  
  
"Huh?" Sakuragi stared outside and slapped his forehead. "Kuso! No wonder the bus was early. No, it wasn't early. It wasn't even the bus we are supposed to take anyway! Quick, get off before we go anywhere further away." With that, he dragged Rukawa with him and forced, I mean, asked the driver to let them off.  
  
"So what are we going to do? Walk all the way back?" Sakuragi stared down the lane that seemed to stretch on and on to nowhere.  
  
"Sato! Come and fetch me. I'm lost... No, I don't know where I am. Took the wrong bus from school. Now I'm at some deserted lane with a do'aho... I mean... one of my teammate. Hurry up and just find me. Stop asking so many questions or you're fired!" with that, Rukawa clicked off his handphone.  
  
"Do'aho! What're you staring at? Never seen someone making a phone call?" Rukawa smirked.  
  
Sakuragi quickly closed his mouth and retaliated. "Teme! Who are calling a do'aho? You baka kitsune! So what do we do now?"  
  
"Wait." Rukawa sat down against a lamppost, looking unusually pale.  
  
"Wait?? Here? In the middle of the road?" Sakuragi fumed.  
  
"You can walk home if you want."  
  
"What? You stupid kitsune always suggest stupid ideas!" Sakuragi turned to see Rukawa fallen asleep, again.  
  
Heaven chose that moment to darken. Thunder and lightening also chose that moment to rumble and flash. And rain fell from the sky a few moments after that.  
  
"Kuso! Oi! Kitsune! It's raining, what are we going to do? Kitsune!!" Sakuragi asked but the sleeping boy did not stir. So Sakuragi went over to the sleeping form and pushed him gently. He was shocked to feel the hot skin under his touch.  
  
"Kuso! He can't be sick at this moment. What am I going to do? Why hasn't the-whoever-Rukawa'd-called come yet?" Sakuragi muttered.

* * *

A/N: Heeheee... quite a short chapter... how's it anyway? 


	4. Chapter IV

Disclaimer at Chapter I Chapter IV As the rain fell more ferociously, the raindrop became bigger. Sakuragi shivered but he did not move from his position. He could not move from his position, he could not risk the life of his Kaede and let the rain get to him. So, he continued to shield the kitsune from the rain using his own body, well, he had no other thing, did he? And there wasn't any shelter in sight either.  
  
Then he heard a car rumbling along the lane. He wanted to run out to stop the car and ask the driver to provide them a ride to a nearby shelter. But if he did, Rukawa would be in the rain. Unexpectedly, the car stopped right beside them. Out stepped a young man of around 25.  
  
"Aa. You must be Sakuragi-san. Rukawa-san has being talking to me about you a lot. Is that Rukawa-san? What happened? I'm sorry for coming late, I don't know which way to go," said the young man upon seeing the dark-haired boy under Sakuragi's body's shield. "Quick, get out off the rain."  
  
Sakuragi lifted Rukawa from the ground and by bending his body, he could still provide shelter to Rukawa, partially if not fully. And he hoisted Rukawa into the car.  
  
As Sakuragi sat in the car, with Rukawa still in his arms, he felt nauseous and his head felt heavy. Slowly, his conscious ebbed away from him and he slipped into a dreamless sleep.  
  
He did not know how long he had slept but when he opened his heavy eyelids, he found himself lying on a soft bed, in a dark room. He tried moving his body, but all his limps ached and he moaned from the pain.  
  
"Umm. Kuso. What's wrong with me? Where am I? The last thing I remember was holding that kitsune, sitting in his car," Sakuragi mumbled.  
  
"Do'aho! Don't move, you're sick, you should rest." A low, gentle and soothing voice traveled to his ears.  
  
"Huh? Kitsune? Why are you here? I'm sick? How can the Tensai be sick? Ouch!" Sakuragi winced when he tried to sit up in his bed.  
  
"Do'aho!" Rukawa commented in a "I-told-you-so" tone.  
  
"Humph! Baka kitsune! Where am I anyway? How come you are here? Aren't you sick? I mean, you were burning hot when you fell asleep at the roadside." Sakuragi asked.  
  
"This is my house. You are in my guest room. When I woke up in the car, YOU fell asleep and YOU were the one having a high fever. I've heard from Sato what you've done. You're really a do'aho! What are you gaping at?"  
  
"You! That's the longest speech I've ever heard you make!" Sakuragi stared in awe.  
  
"Do'aho!" Rukawa snorted. "So, why did you shield me? Didn't you hate me?"  
  
"Well, I can't leave you at the roadside and suffer in the rain... I'm the Tensai so I'll do what I have to do..."  
  
"That's your real reason?" Rukawa cut in.  
  
"Well..." Sakuragi started, but he himself did not knew why. Did he hate Rukawa? His thought drifted back to that instant when he made up his mind to shield Rukawa. I need to protect my Kaede... my kitsune... 


	5. Chapter V

_Disclaimer at Chapter I_

Chapter 5

* * *

"When did I become yours?"  
  
"Huh? You can read minds?"  
  
"Do'aho! You were saying it aloud!"  
  
"Aa." Sakuragi felt heat rising in his cheeks. He knew he looked foolish to blush like that.  
  
"Arigatou Hana-kun. Thank you for protecting me."  
  
Sakuragi stopped breathing for the second time that day. He stared at the fox-eyed boy, drowning in those icy blue pools... no, they were not icy anymore. They were actually showing warmth... warming his heart...warming his trembling body. Sakuragi felt himself blushing to the root of his hair under Rukawa's stare. He felt as if Rukawa was some fierce predator and he the prey. He felt as if Rukawa was going to pounce on him any moment and devour him. Sakuragi tore his eyes away from those magnetic blue orbs and let his eyes trailed down to Rukawa's lips.  
  
Oh man... his lips are so pale... How I want to kiss them to bring some redness to them... And his body, without waiting for his brain to command, reacted. He pulled the fox-eyed boy towards him and crushed his lips against Rukawa's pale ones. Rukawa kissed back just as ferociously and meshed their lips together. After some time, they parted, not because they did not want to kiss anymore but merely because if they did not stop, they were going to die due to the lack of oxygen.  
  
"Why did you kiss me?" Rukawa asked.  
  
"Because they look too pale..."  
  
"Only that?"  
  
"Why do you always want to know my real reason for doing things?"  
  
"Because I want to know if you really had any feeling for me. I want to know if you meant everything you do. I NEED to know because I love you."  
  
Damn that stupid kitsune! Always so straight-forward. What am I supposed to say? Sakuragi thought.  
  
"Baka kitsune! Why do you always have to make me feel dumb?"  
  
"Because you are a do'aho!"  
  
"You!"  
  
"So you response is..."  
  
"Okay... I didn't know what happen, but I just have that feeling that you are to be mine and I want to make you mine... umph..." Sakuragi was cut off as Rukawa once again pressed his thin pale lips on his do'aho's full red lips.  
  
"Thank you...do'aho..." Rukawa whispered into Sakuragi's ear as he climbed into the bed beside his new-found koibito.  
  
"Baka kitsune..." Sakuragi retaliated, but this time the words did not contain any provoking meanings, they are more like a special form of expressing his love. He turned and faced the other dark-haired boy, slipped his arm around the slim waist and snuggled closer. Slowly, the two fell to sleep, red hair mingling with dark hair.  
  
That was a great contrast... but the gap between them had became smaller... they had became closer... through sleep, through rain, through the beautiful mistake (of taking the wrong bus) they had made...  
  
**You give me strength,  
  
You give me hope,  
  
You give me someone to love,  
  
Someone to hold.  
  
When I'm in your arms,  
  
I need you to know,  
  
I've never been, never been this close.**

**

* * *

****Owari**

* * *

A/N: So how's it?? It's a bit too mushy, I know. I always ended up writing fluffy... mushy fics... haha... PLEASE COMMENT, especially you, Regina-chan.  
  
Hana: Oi, author-san, haha... I like this because you make me seem like a hero, well, I am, (everybody face-vaulted --") by having me protect that baka kitsune! Wahaha... Ore wa tensai  
  
Ru: Do'aho!  
  
Hana: Teme! You stupid kitsune! Who are you calling do'aho!  
  
Ru: You...  
  
Hana: Humph... you are just jealous that I'm the hero here. pouts his lips  
  
Ru: Do'aho! grabs Hana's collar and drags him into a room to spend some quality time together before he gets a nosebleed from seeing Hana's cute expression  
  
Author:... ermz... --"


End file.
